Transmission



May 6, 1930. H, KNOX ET AL 1,757,052

Original Filed April 8, 1926 S SheetS-Sheet 1 awn Wm Hazfl A-K1-Lr:1x Elert KEEN EF May 6, 1930. KNOX ET AL 1,757,052

TRANSMISSION Original Filed April 8, 1926 3 SheetsSheet 2 May 6 1930. H, A, Nox ET AL. 7 1,757,052

TRANSMISSION Original Filed April 8, 1926 s Sheets-Sheet s Harry A K1'L|:1x Bert [Baker 30 sion.

Patented May 6, 1930 UNITED sTArEs QPA ENT. OFFI E I HARRY A. KNOX nivnnnnr r. BAKER, or DAVENPO T, Iowa TRANSMISSION Refiled for abandoned application Serial 110.100,?64, filed April 8, 1926. This application filed Koveniber 5, 1928 Serial No. 317,454.

' (GRANTED UNDER r m ACT or MARCH 3, 1883, AS AMENDED APRIL 30, 1928; 37c 0.6. 757) p The invention described herein may be 7 manufactured and used by or 'for the Gov ernment for governmental purposes, with out the payment to us of any royalty'thereon.

' The subject of this invention is a transmission, and is a substitute for application, Serial No. 100,764, filed April 8, 1926. 1' Inv adapting the internal combustionenglue to the varied conditions of automobile propulsion, a transmission or change speed gearing is employed according to 'establlshed principles to give therequired speed ratios betweentheengine and rear axle. ,In'pres= ent practice the transmissionis located di- 1 rectl in rear of the engine and includes a num er of shafts, gears, bearings, etc, the whole unit being inclosedin abox and "producing a sound box eifect on the body. When driving through any'set of reducing'gars the noise and clashing is so strident that the op-;-

erator shifts into direct drive sooner; and oftenerthan the conditlons of travel warrant. s V Witha view to eliminating the foregoing undesirable features and with the purpose of considerably simplifying the mechanism while promoting its eificlency and durability, vwe propose a radical deparature in both the type and arrangementwof the transmis- The present invention is characterized principally by'the installationlof the, change speed gear set in the rear axle, by the proi vision onthe drive shaft of pinions of an inherently quiet type which continuously actuate the gear wheels and, by the selective.

coupling of the gear wheels direct to the final driven unit. 7 v To these and other ends, our invention con- 0. sists in the construction, arrangement and combination of elements as described hereinafter and pointed out in the claims forming a part of this specification.

A practical embodiment of the invention 115; is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein: i

Fig. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view through the improved transmission;

Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional view on the 501 line 22 of Fig. 1;

housing 5 which according to'customfis formed of two parts joined on the center line of the vehicle. The drive shaft 6 which re ceives power direct from the engine is 'sup-v ported both front'and rear by bearings 7 and 8 so thatthe driving gears carried thereby intermediate the bearings will always be in mesh with the driven gearswithout being overhung. V I.

In the preferred embodiment of the inven-' *tion thev driving gears comprise a worm 9 s and a skew bevel pinion 10 fast on the drive shaft and meshing respectively with a worm wheel 11 and a skew bevel wheel 12 both of these wheels being disposed concentrically with driving axles 1313 and having internal teeth. 11* and 12, preferably eight in number which may be engaged by a sliding clutch 14 splined onran extension ofthe differential housing 15. -To facilitate engagementwith the teeth 11 and-12 the clutch is formed with but four teeth 14 as will be ried by the worm wheel, the pinions 17 are fast to the housing 5 andthe sun wheel 18 is coaxial with the driven wheels: 11 and 12. The sun-wheel is also formed-with internal teeth 18 for enga 'ement .withthe clutch 14. Suggestive oft e many modifications to whichwthe'invention lends itself is the provisionv for securing the reverse drive illuslarger wheel. p M

It will be noted that the differential houstrated in Fig. 3 wherein a second skew bevel wheel 19 isdriven by the skew pinion 10, but if desired, an additional pinion might be provided on the drive shaft to gear with a ing (Fig. 5) is formed with a pair of annular shoulders 2'0 ;20" which-correspond to the neutral positions of the clutch member and which are provided to constitute-bear= ing surfaces, for the inner ends ofthe bevel wheel 12 and the sun wheel 10. V

The differential mechanism 21-is'of c'o'nventiona l-;desi-gn and isarranged directly adjacent the change speed gear set. The gear shaft control for actuating the clutch member 14 may be of any suitable ty'pe operable fromthedrivers seat.

In operation the forward and; reverse driven wheels are always rotating no inatter if the clutch is in neutral or in engagement-withanyone ofthem; By manipulation of the clutch the drive is selectively taken direct to the differential housing.

Among the advantages of our improved transmission arethe following:

duces a sounding box effect on the body.

(9)" Flexibility in adapting thedrive' from (1) Direct; drive at bothlow and high speed affords exceptionally quiet operation. (2) Utilization of' worm andskewbevel gearing 1 ina transmission, theseztypes affordingmore silent operationand possessing gre'aterdurability thanthe' spur or spiral gearing heretofore employed, .7

(3) Reductions suitable for motor vehi cle use are obtained by the typeof gearing rather than by the size. 1

A compact arrangement ofa minimum number of-g'ears and coaxial mounting of the driven gear wheels; 1

(5) Shifting is conducted at less than en-' gine speed. A r i (6,) A single'clutch member isengageable with' gear wheels of varying'type and size. (7). Lubrication of the transmission and differential is simplified. V V f (8') .Abolition' of the gear vboxwhich pro- 1. In amotor vehicle, a rear axle housing, a pair of axle'shafts,--adlfierent al mecha nism, a skew bevel wheel anda worm'wheel mounted on the"differential housingf, a ring ear: secured to the worm wheel, PHI-161181631? ried by the axlehousing and meshing with the ring gear, a sun wheel concentric with the worm wheel and meshing with the pinions, a; drive shaft carrying a -w0rm and a skew bevel pinion, and a clutch slidably keyed to the differential housing and adapted to internally engage the skew, worm and sun wheels. j

2. In a motor vehicle, a rear axle housing,

"apa'ir" of axle shafts, a difierential mechanism-for saidshafts, a plurality ofidriven. gear wheels concentric with the axles, a train of'spurreduction gearing actuated from one of said-wheels and engageable' withthe differential housing, a drive shaft, pinions on the drive'shaft in meshwith the gear wheels,

and 'asliding clutch keyed to the differen v tial housing for selectively connecting said housing to thedrivenwheels and to the final spur reduction gear. 3. A transmission embodying a drive shaft,

aworm' and a skew bevel pinion on said shaft-ya member to be driven,,a wormwheel and'skew bevel wheel concentric on saidmem 'berand in-mesh respectively with the worm and p'inion, a reduction gear train-actuated by. the worm wheelfandmeansfor selectively engaging said memberwith theworm and skew wheel and: withathe reduction gearing.

4. Atransmissionembodying a drive shaft, a worm and a'skew :bevel pinion on said shaft, a-membertobedriven, a worm wheel and skew bevel wheel concentric on saidmember' andin mesh respect-ivelywith the worm and pinion, reverse gearing actuated'by the wormwheel and means'for selectively engag- I ingsaid member with: the worm! and'skew wheel and the reverse gearmg.

" 5.'A .tra'nsmission embodying a drive shaft, a worm and a skew bevel pinion: on'said shaft, a worm wheel anda skew bevel wheel in'mes'h respectivelywith. the worm and" P1111011,- reverse gearing actuated by one-of said wheelsand concentric therewith, a memher to be driven and means forselectively en gaging said member-with the worm andskew wheels and with thetreverse gearingb HA BY A. Knox. Y-

*BERT'F. BAKER. 

